Zim teens make legal history in Europe

Latwell Nyangu

AT just 13, Mukudzei Collen Mharadzano Jnr and Sarah Arielle Msipa have already made their mark on the international legal stage, helping Zimbabwe’s eight-member national moot court team conquer Europe in Romania.

The two teenagers held their own against older and, in some cases, more experienced competitors as the Zimbabwean team emerged champions at the European Moot Court Championship in Câmpulung Muscel.

The victory came after months of intensive research, legal training and public speaking, with the students balancing demanding preparation with schoolwork and examinations.

The team had to defend complex legal positions before panels of judges who subjected them to challenging questions and could interrupt their submissions at any point.

Despite the pressure, the young Zimbabweans remained composed, demonstrating confidence, discipline and a strong grasp of international law.

The latest triumph adds to Zimbabwe’s growing record in competitive moot court.

The country became the first African nation to win the European Moot Court Championship in 2022, while the team had also previously won the World Championship.

Founder and Head Coach of the Zimbabwe National Moot Court Team, Advocate Nqobile Dube, said the latest victory demonstrated the depth of intellectual talent among Zimbabwean students.

“Approximately 200 students from across Zimbabwe, from Form 1 to Form 6, applied.

“The students were introduced to the fundamentals of international humanitarian law and moot court before undergoing national selection trials.

“The trials were conducted both virtually and in person, with the in-person component hosted at Dominican Convent.

“The selection process brought together students from across the country and was judged by members of the legal profession and law students from the University of Zimbabwe and Herbert Chitepo Law School.

“From that national pool, a group of students was selected for the Zimbabwe National Moot Court Team.”

The final squad comprised Tinodaishe Cole Makwiranzou (15) of St John’s College and team captain; Amyra Jain (15) of Hellenic Academy and deputy captain; Ziyanda Inzwirashe Madison Zawe (15) of Tynwald High School; Giovanni Tawananyasha Nyatsambo (16) of Tynwald High School; Tafadzwa Samuel Mwagura (15) of Milestone College; Mharadzano (13) of Milestone College; Courtney Falees Joseph (15) of Bulawayo Adventist School; and Msipa (13) of Celebration International School.

The four boys and four girls came from six schools, making the delegation a national team rather than a school-based squad.

Adv Dube said the students deserved the credit for the achievement.

“This victory belongs first and foremost to the eight students. They represented Zimbabwe with extraordinary discipline, courage and intellectual maturity.

“What makes the achievement particularly special is that they were not simply competing against other teenagers, but they were competing against students who were, in many cases, older and more experienced.

“Two members of our team are only 13 years old,” said Adv Dube.

Behind the victory was months of intensive preparation, much of it conducted online because the students are based in different parts of the country.

“There were many evenings when we trained from around 6pm until 10pm, sometimes while the students were also preparing for school examinations.

“That level of commitment is a major part of why they succeeded,” said Adv Dube.

The competition required more than memorising speeches.

The students had to understand a simulated International Criminal Court case, develop prosecution and defence arguments, research complex issues of international criminal and humanitarian law and defend their reasoning when judges interrupted them with difficult questions.

“They had to think on their feet under intense time pressure.

“For me, the most important message is that world-class intellectual talent exists in Zimbabwe. We don’t have to go overseas to find it.

“We can identify it in our classrooms, develop it systematically and give it the opportunity to compete on the international stage.

“This victory is bigger than a moot court. The skills these students have developed — research, critical thinking, communication, advocacy, confidence and the ability to perform under pressure — are skills that Zimbabwe needs across law, diplomacy, business, academia, public administration and leadership.”

Adv Dube said the teenagers had also demonstrated resilience in balancing the demanding programme with normal school life.

“They learned how to accept criticism, recover from mistakes and keep performing under pressure.

“Whenever these students walked into the courtroom, they knew they were carrying more than their individual names.

“They were representing their schools, their families, their coaches and Zimbabwe.

“They also understood that they were demonstrating what young African students are capable of when they are given access to serious intellectual training and international opportunities.”

He said the success showed that talent could be nurtured locally and compete successfully at the highest level.

“We didn’t discover talent in Europe. We discovered it in Zimbabwe and gave it the training and platform to compete with the world.

“This championship is proof of what is possible when young Zimbabwean talent is taken seriously.”

For Jain, the team’s deputy captain, the victory was both an honour and an affirmation of the students’ hard work.

“It’s a true honour that we got this opportunity to represent our country at the world stage.

“It was truly an unforgettable experience and our ability to take every round as it came until we eventually won helped us prove to ourselves that we deserved to be there and deserved to achieve everything that we did.”

Source: Zim teens make legal history in Europe – herald

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